More than 1,600 jobs are at risk at casino owner Genting after the company was hit by the closure of sites during the coronavirus lockdown.

Its casinos remain shut to customers despite a raft of hospitality venues, such as pubs and restaurants, reopening earlier this month, as the sector continues to await the green light from the Government to reopen.

The company said that 1,642 UK employees are at risk of redundancy as part of an ongoing consultation process.

Genting has earmarked its Margate, Torquay and Bristol sites for possible permanent closure, while jobs are also expected to be cut across other UK locations.

The company said the three clubs are “no longer financially viable”, with the business intending to reopen all its other sites.

Genting said that a “significant number” of staff who are at risk of redundancy are currently on furlough and stressed that it is intent of mitigating job losses as much as possible.

The casino firm said it has announced the restructuring plans after facing “unprecedented challenges and heavy losses over the past few months” due to the pandemic.

A company spokesman said: “Despite the ongoing uncertainty in relation to when we may be able to open our doors again, we are continuing to prepare for our re-opening – albeit with significant changes being implemented to our physical premises and to our operating model.

“In light of these changes, we are having to make some heart-breaking decisions about the future of the business and it is with huge regret that job losses are simply unavoidable.”